


The Mission

by stolen_pen_name23



Series: Whumptober 2020 [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin Skywalker is Trying, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, Knight Anakin Skywalker, Mentioned Satine Kryze, Nightmares, Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26922880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stolen_pen_name23/pseuds/stolen_pen_name23
Summary: “Satine. A girl from his past who could never be a part of his future.A small, tiny part of him had always hoped of course, but now… Now that shred of hope was gone. That hope had been extinguished just as she had been.”Obi-Wan has nightmares after Satine’s death. Anakin tries his best to be there for him. Prompt fill for the alternate whumptober prompt: nightmares.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze
Series: Whumptober 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951717
Comments: 12
Kudos: 120
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	1. Chapter 1

_ Satine.  _ A girl from his past who could never be a part of his future. 

A small, tiny part of him had always hoped of course, but now… Now that shred of hope was gone. That hope had been extinguished just as she had been. 

Try as he might, Obi-Wan could not rid the memory of her taking one final shuddering breath in his arms from his head. It replayed over and over like a broken holo recording. 

Some things don’t fade so easily.

As he staggered onto the temple’s loading dock, he was vaguely aware that Anakin was there to greet him after returning from his ill-fated mission to Mandalore.

His mission.

Satine had been his mission. A mission dearer to him than almost any other mission he’d ever been on. A mission he had failed. 

He could tell right away that Anakin knew something was wrong. Anakin’s piercing stare bore holes through his shields, through the neutral expression on his face, and through the stolen Mandalorian armor that still adorned his body. He had never been good at hiding things from Anakin. Now was no different. Still, he kept his eyes forward and his pace even. 

“Master?” Anakin said cautiously, as though he were speaking with a wild animal. “Master, what happened?”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan tried to say in a warning tone, but he just sounded tired, even to his own ears.

“Master, where is the duchess?”

“The Duchess of Mandalore is dead,” he said quietly. He didn’t pause. He didn’t stop walking. He couldn’t stop walking. He just needed to go home, lie down, and pretend that everything that just happened to him was nothing but a bad dream. 

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said in a gentle tone. A pitying tone. Obi-Wan hated that. 

“Please, Anakin, don’t…”

“Obi-Wan, stop,” Anakin commanded in a firmer tone, grabbing Obi-Wan’s shoulder and forcing him to come to a halt. Obi-Wan winced. “Master, are you hurt?”

He hadn’t really taken the time to pay attention to his body, but he realized he was quite sore, likely from the crash, and from being roughed up by Death Watch only mere hours ago. It felt like a lifetime ago. 

“No, Anakin. I’m fine, just tired. Let me go. Please.” 

Obi-Wan lamented how pleading his voice sounded but didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he started walking again. This time Anakin didn’t stop him, but he didn’t leave his side either. His former Padawan was nothing if not persistent. 

“Do you want to talk about it? Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“Not particularly.”

“That’s alright,” Anakin said quietly. Obi-Wan was mildly surprised he gave up the line of questioning so quickly, but he knew Anakin would bring it up again – probably sooner rather than later. 

Anakin continued to hover at his side, matching his pace step for step. “Master, you shouldn’t be alone.”

“I’m not a youngling Anakin, I’m perfectly fine on my own.”

“I never said you weren’t,” Anakin said placatingly. “I don’t  _ want  _ you to be alone. I’m coming with you.”

“Anakin…”

“I’m coming with you.”

Obi-Wan didn’t have the mental resolve to fight against Anakin’s stubborn will right now. “Fine.” 

Anakin followed Obi-Wan to the apartment they used to share, but where Obi-Wan now lived alone. 

“Go get changed, I’ll make us some tea,” Anakin said.

“You hate tea.”

“You don’t.”

In spite of himself, a small feeling that wasn’t numbing grief, that wasn’t crushing despair, floated in his mind.  _ Gratitude.  _ It was a momentary feeling of warmth in a sea of cold sorrow, but Obi-Wan was grateful for the reprieve – however fleeting it may be. He offered Anakin a half-smile which the younger Jedi returned in full. 

Obi-Wan grabbed a change of clothes and stepped into the fresher. He took a moment to look at his reflection.  _ Force _ , he looked rough. The dark circles under his eyes seemed more prominent against his pale complexion. 

He averted his gaze and instead focused on getting the armor off. With some effort, he was able to wriggle out of the foreign plastoid shell. The motion tugged at his sore muscles and bruised ribs, but the physical pain was almost a comfort. It was something else to focus on at the very least. He pulled on his normal leggings and a soft long sleeve. 

He glanced back at himself in the mirror. He didn’t really want to face himself, but he knew he needed to face Anakin. He splashed some water on his face and tried to think about anything but Satine. His skin was nowhere near his usual pallor, but there was only so much he could do about that. He grimaced before returning to his small kitchen table. Anakin was already waiting for him with a steaming cup of tea. He accepted it gratefully.

“Thank you, Anakin.” 

  
“Of course, Master.” 

“You don’t have to be here.”

“I want to be.”

Obi-Wan hummed and sipped on his tea. 

“I assume you don’t have any new roommates I’m not aware of living in my old room?”

“It’s all yours.”

“Perfect,” Anakin smiled. “It’ll be just like old times huh?”

Obi-Wan managed a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He looked down before he could acknowledge Anakin’s concerned gaze.

“I’m going to go to bed now, Anakin. Feel free to stay up, I know it’s still early.” 

“Alright, Master,” Anakin said warily. “Let me know if you need anything. Or if you want to talk.”

“Thank you, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said sincerely. “You didn’t have to…”

“Stop,” Anakin said, cutting him off. “I wanted to.”

Obi-Wan shot him a grateful look before returning to his room. He climbed into his bed and instantly curled into himself. The sheets were cool against his skin and he wrapped his blankets more tightly around him. He had initially thought he would spend the night wide-awake, unable to shut down his brain long enough to get some sleep. However, he found his tired body was winning the war against his mind and soon enough Obi-Wan allowed himself to fall hard into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Anakin paced about Obi-Wan’s apartment like a caged animal. His worry over his former Master was palpable and he only hoped he could keep his emotions locked deep inside his shields so Obi-Wan wouldn’t feel them. He didn’t need that right now.

Of course, Anakin wasn’t really sure  _ what _ Obi-Wan needed. Obi-Wan’s lack of outward emotional expression was difficult for Anakin to even process. Anakin knew he would tear apart the galaxy if something happened to Padme, but Obi-Wan clearly had a more subdued way of expressing his grief. Still, Anakin knew that compounding his restless musings with Obi-Wan’s grief would not be helpful, so he slammed his shields down as tight as they would go. 

Anakin wasn’t stupid. He had known Obi-Wan had feelings for Satine that were not exactly inside the bounds of the Jedi code. Obi-Wan had always had a silver tongue. He could talk his way out of just about anything, but no matter how skillfully Obi-Wan evaded his questions about her or their shared past together, he knew Obi-Wan’s relationship with her was special. Anakin had never pressed the matter too hard because, well, he didn’t want Obi-Wan to turn around and do the same to him. But still, Anakin knew Obi-Wan’s anguish had to run deep – deeper than he was letting on.

As the thought crossed his mind, something else brushed up against him. The gentle brush then turned into an unyielding wave of fear and sorrow coursing through the bond he still held with Obi-Wan. 

Anakin hurried to Obi-Wan’s room and didn’t bother knocking. In the pale moonlight streaming in through the window, Anakin could see a thin sheen of sweat on Obi-Wan’s skin. He tossed his head back fitfully and was muttering to himself.

“No… no… leave him alone.”

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin whispered, kneeling by his side.

“Let him go…”

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said more firmly. 

Obi-Wan let out a distressed murmur, but Anakin wasn’t sure what he was trying to say.

“Master, wake up, please,” Anakin said, shaking Obi-Wan’s shoulders this time. 

Obi-Wan gasped and sat up quickly. His chest rose and fell sharply as he tried to regain control of his breathing. Anakin waved his hand and the lamp turned on, bathing the room in a warm glow. Obi-Wan squinted before letting his eyes adjust.

Anakin sat on the edge of Obi-Wan’s bed and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright, Master. It was just a dream.” 

“Anakin.”

Obi-Wan’s voice broke. He suddenly let his body tilt sideways until he was fully leaning on Anakin. Anakin’s eyes widened in surprise as Obi-Wan rested his head on his shoulder and nestled into his collar. 

“Master, please. Talk to me.”

A choked sob was all that escaped Obi-Wan’s lips.

“Shh it’s alright,” Anakin said gently, rubbing his former Master’s back. Obi-Wan leaned into the touch.

Anakin was concerned. Obi-Wan was never this open with his emotions and certainly was never this affectionate. He just wasn’t the type to seek comfort through physical touch. Or maybe he secretly was and he’d just been good at hiding it all this time. That concerned Anakin more. 

“Obi-Wan, please. Tell me what happened.”

There was a long and silent pause.

“H-he killed her,” he sobbed.

“Who killed her?”

“Maul.”

Anakin’s eyes darkened. “Darth Maul did this?”

Obi-Wan nodded before burying his head farther into Anakin’s collar. 

This was wrong. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Obi-Wan always comforted  _ Anakin.  _ Not the other way around. Obi-Wan had always been there for him. A father figure, an older brother, a teacher. Obi-Wan had always held these positions in Anakin’s life and had always been a source of authority. Obi-Wan was the mentor and Anakin was the mentee. As Anakin sat there, feeling utterly helpless in easing Obi-Wan’s pain, he couldn’t help but let his thoughts linger on how this situation was a role-reversal in the highest degree. 

Anakin was happy that Obi-Wan was willing to let his guard down around him, but he was unpracticed in taking on the role of the caregiver. Sure, Anakin had been there for him in the past when he was sick or injured. He had even experienced the aftermath of some of Obi-Wan’s nightmares before, but this pain, this pain was born of grief Obi-Wan hadn’t experienced since Qui-Gon’s death. At that time, Anakin had been too young and too preoccupied to help Obi-Wan through that. Now was Anakin’s chance to do right by his Master – to just be there after years of Obi-Wan being there for him.

“Obi-Wan, what can I do?”

Anakin internally cringed. Even when he was trying to offer comfort to Obi-Wan, he still needed his advice.

“Nothing,” Obi-Wan said with a tired sigh. “There’s nothing anyone can do. It’s too late for that.”

“I’m sorry, Master. Truly.”

“I know, Anakin.”

Obi-Wan finally separated himself from Anakin. He leaned back against the headboard and put his face in his hands. 

“What were you dreaming about?”

Obi-Wan closed his stormy blue eyes.

“Everyone.”

“Everyone?”

“In my dream… he got everyone. The same exact way every time. Over and over.”

“Maul?”

Obi-Wan nodded slowly and opened his eyes. “It started with the ones that actually happened. Qui-Gon… her…”

Anakin nodded, motioning for him to continue.

“But then… but then he killed Cody. Then it was Rex. Then Bant and Kit and several other agemates of mine,” Obi-Wan paused, his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil. “And then he got Ahsoka. He killed my Grandpadawan right in front of me and there was nothing I could do.”

Anakin’s stomach dropped at the thought of Maul even laying a finger on his Padawan. He clamped down on his emotions. He needed to keep it together. For Obi-Wan.

“It didn’t stop. No matter how much I begged him to take me instead. He killed everyone else. Then…”

Anakin had a feeling he knew what was coming next. “It’s alright Master,” he said in the calmest voice he could muster. 

“Then it was you. He had you. He had you by the neck, just like he had her.”

“He doesn’t have me. He doesn’t have Ahsoka. He doesn’t have Cody or Rex or Bant or anyone.”

“He had her.”

Anakin didn’t know what to say. What could he say? 

“What if…” Obi-Wan whispered. “What if it wasn’t a dream? Anakin, what if it was a vision? What if he doesn’t stop until he’s truly taken everything?”   
  


“We won’t let him, Obi-Wan. You know that.”

“He’s gotten this far.”

“What do you always tell me, Master?”

“What?” he said in confusion.   
  
“What do you always tell me to focus on? The here and now.”

“I must confess, I only tell you that because Qui-Gon always told  _ me  _ that.”

“Well, then. I’m sure I don’t have to reiterate the importance of listening to one’s Master to you, do I?”

Obi-Wan laughed. “No, no you don’t Anakin.” 

Anakin smiled. “Thought so.” 

Obi-Wan sighed. “You don’t have to be here, Ana…”

“Master, for the last time, I  _ want _ to be here,” Anakin said, exasperated. 

“I know. You didn’t let me finish.”

“Oh.”

“Anakin, you don’t have to be here, but I’m glad you are.”

Something warmed inside Anakin. The confirmation made him feel like he was doing something right for once. 

“I’m glad to be here too, Master.” 

This time Anakin leaned on Obi-Wan, resting his head on the older man’s shoulder. 

“It will get better. I promise. It sucks right now, but you’ll be okay.”

“I know Anakin,” he murmured softly. “I know.”

At the moment, Obi-Wan was nowhere near being okay, but at least he wasn’t alone. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr now! I can't guarantee I'll post that often but if you're interested, you can follow me [@stolen-pen-name23](https://stolen-pen-name23.tumblr.com/)


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